


Do you love me?

by Latinuser



Category: Tales of - Fandom, Tales of Vesperia, tov - Fandom
Genre: Gen, M/M, gotta love them, i enjoy this pair too much, need to eat, some doubt, tired bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 16:07:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15911667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latinuser/pseuds/Latinuser
Summary: “Jus’ curious is all.”It’s an excuse, and both of them know it. Slowly does Harry shift to glance Karol’s direction, head stuffed up against a pillow, arms squeezing it tight. He wants an answer and Karol’s face is now, too, thoughtful.“Is it cuz I haven’t said it?” Karol prods.Harry doesn’t respond at first. Then, “I asked my question first.”





	Do you love me?

**Author's Note:**

> Nobody will write these two so I've got a mission.
> 
> Some day I will drag people down with me from this fandom. Some day.

“Do you love me?”

The question is a sudden thing, the look Harry recieves he’s not returning. Staring at his pillow, thoughtful. The expression of brows furrowed, blond hair spilling over shoulders. He’s serious, and the normal apathetic look on his face is now scrunched and uncomfortable. For multiple reasons. 

Karol is on the hot seat, and with Harry not looking at him it is giving the younger a chance to answer  _ however he wants _ . Lie, if he needs to. Avoid, if he can’t. “Well of course I do.”

He begins it before Harry’s speaking once more. “I mean,  _ love me _ . The same way I love you. It’s been a while since we’ve been datin’...” Harry understands if he doesn’t. Karol was his best friend. Perhaps there was nothing more than that, perhaps he was fooling himself in thinking there was, sometimes.

Asking about  _ personal _ thoughts wasn’t something Harry was prone to do. “What’s brought this on?” Harry can  _ hear _ the shuffling behind him, the movement of cloth as a sudden weight flops next to him. Cinnamon eyes are peering at him, he can  _ feel _ them.

“Jus’ curious is all.”

It’s an excuse, and both of them know it. Slowly does Harry shift to glance Karol’s direction, head stuffed up against a pillow, arms squeezing it tight. He wants an answer and Karol’s face is now, too, thoughtful.

“Is it cuz I haven’t said it?” Karol prods.

Harry doesn’t respond at first. Then, “I asked my question first.”

A finger is  _ jabbed _ between Harry’s ribs and he yelps. Pulling away from the finger and the cinnamon eyes that are  _ glaring _ at him in frustration. Karol’s lip is pulled out,  _ pouting _ , brows furrowed. He doesn’t appreciate this, Harry assumes, now sitting and rubbing at his side. “Didn’t have ta  _ stab me _ with yer nail.”

“Not  _ my fault _ you bite yours off.”

“It’s called  _ self groomin’ _ .”

“Uh-huh, to the  _ nubs _ .”

Harry’s teeth  _ click _ together and he shuffles to lay back down, elbow and arm now carefully pressed into his side. He had to keep his ribcage  _ safe _ now. “No divirtin,” he grumbles, trying to get comfortable again. “Answer the question: do you love me?”

Answering the question wasn’t simple, and Harry knew he was being unfair. It’s been a little over a  _ year _ though. The thought was an unwelcome  _ creeper _ in the back of his head. If Karol didn’t  _ like _ him by this point, perhaps he ought to cut this off now. Let Karol go back to other people he wanted to date and just be the  _ friend _ \--

Lost in thought, Harry did not notice how close Karol had gotten. The soft specks of gold and brown in his eyes clearly visible as he pressed chapped lips against Harry’s. The motion was gentle and Harry almost  _ started _ in realization, blinking blue eyes multiple times before relaxing, slowly. 

“That enough of an answer?”

Karol’s chin is nestled against a pillow, his hair sticking up in odd places on the side of his head. Harry’s a bit befuddled, but there’s a fluster in his cheeks and he coughs, straightening himself out as best he can. “Y-yeah. I guess.”

A beat.

“I’d … still like ta  _ hear _ yer answer.”

Silence settles the room, Karol now  _ thinks _ for the appropriate response. Harry can almost  _ hear _ the winding gears in his head before Karol responds. “I do. But, I think it’s less like  _ I love you differently _ , and just…” There’s a waving of a hand, “...more like I love you just as much, but with a different angle to it.”

Harry slowly nods.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Harry slowly shakes his head.

“Ugh.” Sitting up, Karol’s curling up around a pillow he snatched. “You’re my friend, but also my … boyfriend.” The word came out weird, Harry can’t help the prick of a smirk. Karol  _ smacked _ him with a pillow. “ _ You stop that! _ I’m trying to explain- mm. I don’t feel differently about being your friend. Just. There’s  _ more _ to it now.”

Harry could get that, he supposed. He had a similar aspect when he first learned about his … er … feelings. As awkward as they were at the time. It didn’t change his feelings about wanting to be Karol’s  _ friend _ . “Okay…” He begins slowly, nodding along. “I think I got it.”

He hopes he got it.

“So now it’s  _ my question _ .”

Harry  _ paled _ as Karol’s eyes narrowed playfully. “Is all this cuz I haven’t said it yet?”

Swallowing thickly, Harry looked  _ anywhere _ but at Karol. “O-oh, would ya look at the time, I’ve got a meetin’ with-” A hand nabbed Harry by the back of the collar.

“ _ No one _ , Kaufman isn’t even in Dhangrest at the moment, Takunga is on a mission, and Nobis isn’t in your planner.” Karol’s grip was strong. Harry sometimes forgot such a  _ noodle child _ was quite capable of  _ literally _ wrecking him (into the ground) at times. “So?”

“It...might have...been spurred on by that.”

“Harry, are you  _ insecure? _ ”

The  _ teasing _ in Karol’s tone dripped off and Harry’s shoulders scrunched together, now pushing Karol off of him so he could, instead, drop on top of Karol. Body splaying like a starfish as the smaller grunted uncomfortably. “Oi!”

“Nope. Too insecure to move.” Harry settled, shifting as Karol tried to poke at his ribs and stomach now. “Nooope, not this time. Yer not gonna tickle me off…”

The rest of the evening, until dinner, was a mess of rough housing. Pulling hair, elbowing ribs,  _ tickling _ . All of it until it was late enough and both were hungry enough to make their way (with a few new bruises in tow) to the kitchen. Where Harry focused on making something for the both of them that would be quick and easy to eat.

Karol sat, leaning against a kitchen cabinet, watching.

Scooting closer to Harry who began chopping some vegetables. Swiping a tongue across his gums, there’s some hesitation. Harry glancing back, cocking a brow before going back to work. “Somethin’ the matter?”

“...I love you.”

The words were slow and  _ tasted _ carefully on the way out. Certainly Karol had made comments  _ similar _ in the past. But usually they were during games or messing around. Something so benign they couldn’t be taken or skewed romantically. This is what caught Harry on pause.

“That’s what you wanted ta hear, wasn’t it?”

Harry slowly put down his knife. Turning to glance back at Karol who’s face is tinged with pink. Who couldn’t look him fully in the eye, instead, glancing back and forth as if he might have said something wrong.

Wiping hands across the lapels, Harry bent forward, one hand cupping the back of Karol’s neck, the other loosely hanging at his side. Pulling the other in for a kiss, chaste but  _ meaningful _ . Something that lingered for a touch too long before pulling out of. Half lidded hazel eyes and smiling blue watching each other before Harry turned away, humming merrily to himself.

“I love you, too.”


End file.
